ATLANTA - Archbishop Gregory announced today that he will vacate the residence in early May and move into another available Archdiocesan property, excluding the former residence.
“After consultation with the members who were available to attend from the Archdiocesan Pastoral Council, Archdiocesan Finance Council, and the Council of Priests, and hundreds of well-meaning parishioners of differing points of view some who sent written observations, as well as my own personal reflection and prayer, I have decided to sell the Habersham property and invest the proceeds from that sale into the needs of the Catholic community”, stated Archbishop Gregory.
He continued, “In early May, I will vacate the house. At this time we are considering a number of locations including another Archdiocesan property excluding the former residence”.
“I want to thank those parishioners whose prayers, counsel and concern brought this issue to light and ensured that their Archbishop was properly attuned to the important symbolism of simple actions and the challenges faced by many of the faithful in the Archdiocese of Atlanta”, stated Archbishop Gregory.
He continued, “We are now at the close of the Lenten season preparing for Easter. I pray for the peace of our Lord to be in our hearts, in our families, and in our world.”
The Archdiocesan Pastoral Council is a multicultural group of young, middle-aged and older adults who are lay people (not clerics), representing small, mid-size and large parishes. They work with the archbishop to address religious, social and economic issues related to pastoral concerns within the archdiocese.
The Archdiocesan Finance Council is composed of some 15 laypeople experienced in finance, civil law and general business matters, as well as six priests.
The Council of Priests is composed of over 30 priests of the archdiocese. By canon law they represent all of the priests and assist the archbishop in fulfilling his role as chief pastor.
In his column, What I’ve Seen and Heard, on Monday, Archbishop Gregory expressed his desire “to move deliberately forward and to do a better job of listening than I did before”.
Shared from Archdiocese of Atlanta
Shared from Archdiocese of Atlanta
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